Salts, Oils & Vinegars

Salt, a necessary mineral to sustain life, was perhaps the first seasoning known to civilization. To be "worth his salt" is an expression from the ancient Roman era, when Legions were paid partially in salt because it was deemed so precious. But archeological evidence shows that humans first began to salt their food as early as 6050 BC, a date that precedes the development of writing systems in Mesopotamia and China, and 3,500 years before the Egyptian pyramids of Giza were built.

Oil, or fat, has been used for cooking and to preserve foods since 8,000 BC when humankind was barely out of the last Ice Age. Around 5,000 BC, butter-making became known to humans. By 3,000 BC, the use of olive oil was a staple in Mediterranean diets and a thousand years later, sesame oil came into widespread use in China. There are few recipes in today’s cooking, regardless of geography or culture, that does not begin with melting butter or heating oil in a cooking vessel.

And finally, perhaps the world's most serendipitous culinary revelation: vinegar. It is highly likely that vinegar's discovery was accidental, stemming from wine making and the natural process of fermented spirits turning to acetic acid. The earliest evidence of vinegar dates to 5,000 BC in ancient Mesopotamia, suggesting its use in cooking and preservation. In ancient Egypt, circa 3,000 BC, vinegar was made purposefully from fermented dates and other fruits. Vinegar is an important seasoning ingredient and indeed without it, no salad dressing would be the same; the culinary art of pickling would be unknown; and a vast array of modern day condiments and sauces, like ketchup, mustard, and the world’s beloved Worcestershire Sauce would have to reply solely on lemon juice for their acidic tang.

Here are some of the salts, oils and vinegars that The Recipes of Kitchen Tapestry use and without which, our pantry would be incomplete.

Fleur de Sel isn't just evaporated seawater, it is the salt crystals that form a delicate crust on the surface of the water of evaporating seawater in the salt marshes of France. The delicate nature of the crystals necessitates it be harvested by hand with wooden rakes called a lousse à fleur by workers called paludiers, and is the reason by Fleur de Sel is so expensive.

Salts

"Salt of the Earth." "He ain't worth his salt." "She was a salty ol' girl."

Our own idioms and expressions connote the importance of this chemical compound combining the elements of sodium and chloride which on their own are poisonous to humans but combined, essential to all walks of life on this planet.

According to evolutionary theory, all life on Earth sprang from the ocean, which everyone knows is saltwater. But it is a fact that both human plasma and seawater are high sodium, low potassium with strikingly similar concentrations.

Salt consumed in high volumes can be deadly, and certainly anyone with hypertension knows to be cautious with their salt intake. Even otherwise healthy, astute people know when they're retaining fluid after consuming a salty meal.

But you cannot live - nor cook - without it.

Salt in culinary terms has come into its own in recent years as people have come to understand that not all salt is created equal. To be sure, the mere chemical structure of sodium chloride may always be the same, but the source of salt can infuse or impart many other trace elements that will give certain salts a characteristic flavor over another.

Some salts are outright flavored by their manufacturers with ingredients to enhance them, like Truffle Salt, Celery Salt or Garlic Salt. Other salts retain the mineral contents as they were laid down by nature giving them them their own unique flavor, like the now famous Himalayan Pink salt, which is mined in Pakistan, not India, and derives its pink hue from iron oxide, calcium, potassium and magnesium.

Then, too, the very grain size of individual salt crystals can impact the quality of the culinary experience. For years, chefs have preferred Kosher salt to table salt, not for religious reasons, but because Kosher salt has larger, flakier crystals than table salt which makes it easier to handle when pinched between the thumb and fingers; it also takes longer to dissolve and distributes more evenly on food surfaces.

The famous finishing salt called "Fleur de Sel" is hand harvested from salt marshes in France. It has a course, flaky texture, along with natural trace minerals from the region that contribute to a unique culinary experience when added to a dish in the last seconds before serving.

While table salt has its place and because by US standards, contains a certain amount of the iodine we need, Kitchen Tapestry uses alternative salts for flavoring foods. The iconic Morton's blue cardboard drum container ("when it rains it pours") is used in our kitchen just for boiling salted water for pasta and potatoes, and as an additional sprinkle at the table. Otherwise, we prefer simple sea salt in both fine and course grinds, which is made simply from evaporated ocean water. But evaporated seawater, with its source minerals intact, makes it more complex than large scale salt producers that highly filter and process their salt for something closer to laboratory-produced sodium chloride.

Our pantry spice rack has three categories of salts we routinely use: Seasoned Salt Blends, Finishing Salts and Flavored & Infused Salts. These do not include the pantry staples of celery salt or garlic salt, which are listed in the Herbs & Spices section of Kitchen Tapestry.

Seasoned Salt Blends

Goya Adobo Seasoning

In spite of its name and marketing to the Latino consumer, this is seasoned salt with oregano and turmeric, and sold with or without black pepper. It's a good all-purpose seasoning Kitchen Tapestry uses in Mexican Recipes.
Jane's Krazy Mixed-Up Salt

Created by Jane Parker in the '60s, sold and commercially produced since 1984 by a small New Jersey manufacturer, Flavor Delite. Its formula uses larger grained salt than most, and includes dried basil and oregano, so it's great for finishing Italian Recipes.
Lawry's Seasoned Salt

Created in 1938 as a house seasoning for the restaurant Lawry's - The Prime Rib in Beverly Hills. We won't argue with an expert. Kitchen Tapestry uses it almost exclusively for making our Prime Ribs of Beef au Jus.
Montreal Steak Salt

A spice mix of garlic powder, coriander, black pepper, cayenne pepper flakes, dill seed and course grain salt that originated at Schwartz's Deli in Montreal in the 1940s. It's indispensable as a rim garnish for the Kitchen Tapestry recipe for Bloody Mary with Bacon Garnish and a primary flavoring ingredient in Crispy Smashed Yukons.
Morton Nature's Seasons Seasoning Blend

A late entry introduced by Morton in 1991 to get into the seasoned salt market, before it acquired Season-All. It was called "Seasoning Blend"to differentiate it, but it still largely consists of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder; a convenient all-purpose seasoning used in the Kitchen Tapestry recipe for Oven French Fries.
Morton Season-All

Introduced by McCormick in 1956 as a direct competitor to Lawry's. It's an almost identical recipe, but without sugar and therefore does not brown as well for prime rib, but it's great on scrambled eggs or in cottage cheese. The brand was sold to Morton in 2018.
Reese Steak Salt

Allegedly no longer in production, so My Number One Fan bought a case. A simple combination of course grain salt, black pepper, garlic powder and celery seed. Great flavor to sweat a steak before pan searing or as a finishing salt before serving. You can make it at home: 1/4 cup course sea salt, 2 tbsp ground black pepper, 2 tbsp garlic powder and 1 tbsp celery seed.

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Finishing Salts

Hawaiian Black Lava Salt

Sea salt that has been enhanced with activated charcoal; the Black Lava name is strictly marketing. It's dramatic flavor and color make it a great finishing salt to our Fettuccine Carbonara, also finished with freshly ground black pepper.
Fleur de Sel

Literally, "Flower of Salt" in French. It is harvested by hand and therefore expensive and not used as an ordinary seasoning or condiment, but as a finishing salt or garnish before serving, much like fresh herbs.
Himilayan Pink Salt

Over 800 million years in the making and discovered by Alexander the Great, it has been mined in Pakistan for centuries and prized for its delicate flavor and luxurious pink color. It's fabulous on fresh sliced tomatoes after a splash of balsamic vinegar.

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Flavored & Infused Salts

Alderwood Smoked Salt

Intense smoky flavor, this serves as base for our Kitchen Tapestry Barbecue Sauce, as well as legume dishes like Crock Pot Pinto Beans and Red Beans & Rice.
Bacon Flavored Salt

J&D's is the original Bacon Flavored Salt that goes well on or in anything when you want to bring a little extra bacon flavor to the party.
Black Truffle Salt

Black Truffles are more easily cultivated than White Truffles and have an earthier, nuttier flavor. Black Truffle Salt is perfect for finishing Kitchen Tapestry's recipe for Root Vegetable Fries.
Cherrywood Smoked Salt

Less intense and sweeter than Alderwood, Cherrywood is a great salt for pan fried steaks, chops and seafood in place of sea salt to add additional character and depth to the flavor of the dish.
Molly McButter

In spite of its name, it is mostly flavored salt introduced in 1984 during the low fat craze. I use it exclusively for and know of no easier way for getting butter flavor on popcorn.
White Truffle Salt

A more refined, lighter flavor than Black Truffle Salt, this is an excellent finish to any recipe with mushrooms. Use sparingly.

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Oils

“The olive tree is surely the richest gift of Heaven. I can scarcely expect bread.” - Thomas Jefferson

“In the ‘60s...butter and cream were rife. Those were lovely days for gastronomy, I must say.” - Julia Child

Oil wasn't always so controversial. Indeed, without it, the world would be a vastly different place. Imagine our society were it not for the invention of the combustion engine, which requires a refinement to oil that came from living marine organisms laid down under layers of sediment and rock from 360 to 250 million years ago.

All oil is organic. All oil comes from living things. All oils are hydrocarbons. That means that, yes, there are chemical similarities between fossil oils that make gasoline for your car and that cruet of olive oil you pour on your salad. After all, ethanol - an alleged more environmentally friendly alternative to gasoline - is refined from corn oil; the very same corn oil that might be in your pantry cupboard right now.

All oils are fats. But not all fats are oils.

In the western culinary world, butter is the most highly regarded fat. Lard, on the other hand, which is to say fat derived from pork, and similarly, tallow, which is fat derived from beef, have long ago fallen from favor in the US diet. But the British will tell you that you cannot make Bubble & Squeak without lard and Mexican cooks will surely prefer lard or tallow to oil in making Frijoles Refrito or Tamales. And there has been a culinary resurgence of late in another animal fat considered the finest of all: duck fat.

While the role of cholesterol in animal fat rages on, it must be also said that allegedly, not all plant oils are good for you, either. If they are from the tropics, like palm oil and coconut oil, they are higher in saturated fats, considered less heart healthy than unsaturated fats, like olive oil.

Culinary oils have different purposes, different flavor profiles and different smoking points. It's important to know these various characteristics in the world of cooking so that you can make informed, healthy and delicious choices.

Bubble & Squeak is a British dish that originated among the peasant population in the 18th Century. The name alludes to the sound of the ingredients while being cooked, which were potatoes and cabbage, mixed together and fried in lard. It regained popularity in WWII when meat was rationed and scarce. Modern versions likely use vegetable oil, include other vegetables, like onion, and might be topped with an eggs and some bacon as a breakfast dish.

Cooking Oils

Carapelli Olive Oil

Professional chefs will tell you not to cook with Extra Virgin Olive Oil because it has a lower smoking point than Extra Light Olive Oil. But I use other oils if I'm going to be cooking at temperatures above 375°F. I like Carapelli because it is easy to grasp, has a no-drip pouring spout and tastes great. It's what I grab first for almost all sauté work on my stovetop.
Peanut Oil

Although Planters has been around since 1906, it was another company that introduced Peanut Oil to the US market in 1920. Planters did however, promote its popularity and became the leading producer and distributor of peanut oil years later. Peanut Oil has one of the highest smoking points (450°F) of any cooking oil and is my go-to for wok stir-frying.
Vegetable Oil

Something of a misnomer though not technically incorrect, all "Vegetable" Oils are all or mostly Soybean Oil. It can also contain Corn Oil and Canola Oil, the latter also a misnomer. Canola was a made-up word for "Canadian Oil" and is actually Rapeseed Oil from a member of the turnip plant. I use Vegetable Oil for deep frying with a similar smoking point to peanut oil, for salads dressings that call for it, and as the base for a Cajun Roux.

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Finishing & Recipe Oils

Avocado Oil

La Tourangelle is my go-to brand for Avocado oil, a relatively new entry into the culinary oil market. While Avocado oil has the highest smoking point of any oil at 520°F, it's best used as an oil for vinaigrettes. It has a mild, herbal aroma and velvety texture, making it perfect for salad dressings that don't call for Olive Oil.
Basil Infused Olive Oil

This is homemade. Infusing Olive Oil at home is easy with a couple of kitchen gadgets to help. I have a fondness for basil and even grow my own hydroponically. Any herb or spice can be used, but must be acidified before using in order to prevent the possibility of deadly botulism. Click on the link for more information on the process of acidification in the Kitchen Tapestry recipe for Herbal Infused Olive Oil.
Bertolli Olive Oil

For Extra Virgin Olive Oil purposes other then sautéing, I use Bertolli, importers of Olive Oil from Tuscany Italy since the late 19th Century. This is my go-to Olive Oil mostly for salad dressings or for toasting crostinis and making My Version of Caesar's Salad.
Persian Lime Olive Oil

There are scores of infused Olive Oil purveyors on the Internet. A common one used by Kitchen Tapestry is Persian Lime Olive Oil, sublime when mixed with Gorgonzola Cheese as a topper for sliced ripe tomatoes with a splash of Blood Orange Balsamic Vinegar.
Toasted Sesame Oil

The operative word is "Toasted." Don't waste money on Sesame Oil that is not from toasted seeds. This has a rich, nutty, unique flavor that is never used for cooking, but for quickly finishing an Asian dish, as an ingredient to Oriental marinades and for Chinese dipping sauces and salad dressings. And a little goes a long way.
Truffle Oils

Black is more intense than White Truffle Oil, but both add an earthy, mushroomy flavor as a finish to mushroom dishes, like the Kitchen Tapestry recipe for Fillets of Beef with Mushroom Cognac Sauce.

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The DOP and IGP Certification Seals are unmistakable and carry international legal consequences if improperly used to denoted the two true kinds of Balsamic Vinegar, originating only from Modena or Reggio Emilia, Italy.

Vinegars

“Take heed of the vinegar of sweet wine and the anger of good-nature.” - Benjamin Franklin

“Despair is vinegar from the wine of hope.” - Austin O'Malley

Vinegar, at least in literature, gets a bad rap. Good wine gone bad. It's almost a metaphor reflecting how something that initially held promise can ultimately turn out a disappointment. But Kitchen Tapestry hails the value of the serendipitous discovery of this indispensable culinary flavor workhorse.

Vinegar is a dilute solution of 4-8% acetic acid. It's a natural cleaner, especially of windows. It's a disinfectant with antimicrobial properties. In small quantities, it's a digestive aid and can balance blood sugar. It can deter ants and fruit flies from your home, but of course, everyone already knows "you can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar."

In spite of its bad rap, vinegar obviously has some positive qualities, but none so pronounced as in culinary terms. It adds acidity and tang to dishes, salad dressing, marinades and sauces; it preserves food through the pickling process; and it tenderizes tough cuts of meat when included, as it often is, in marinades for beef, lamb and pork.

And none are so highly prized as Balsamic Vinegar, made from the juice of freshly crushed grapes, called "must," grown in the surrounding area of Modena Italy - one of only two cities where true Balsamic Vinegar can originate, the other being Reggio Emilia. Grapes are limited to just six varietals and are harvested in the fall when they are their peak of acidity to sugar ratio. The “must” is cooked and then placed in aging barrels; thus unlike all other vinegars, Balsamic Vinegar is not produced from a fermented spirit.

True Balsamic is of two kinds: DOP, or Denominazione Di Origine Protetta (Protected Designation of Origin); and IGP, or Indicazione Geografica Protetta (Protected Geographical Indication).

DOP Balsamic is the most prized and expensive because of the aging process that minimally takes twelve years. Before bottling, the vinegar must pass a rigorous tasting panel before it is certified with the DOP Seal, and it is only sold in a specific, distinguishable 100mL bottle (3.4 fluid ounces). Some DOP Balsamic Vinegars are aged 25 years or longer, designated as “extravecchio,” and can easily sell for $200 or more. DOP Balsamic is sweet, complex with high viscosity and strictly used as a condiment or a finishing vinegar on dishes immediately before service. In addition to the DOP seal, the label will denote "Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP."

IGP Balsamic is less expensive because it is produced in larger quantities and aged for a shorter amount of time, at least three years, but it still uses the same "must" as its more expensive brother which is expertly blended with wine vinegar before aging. It is not sold in a distinguishing bottle like DOP Balsamic is, but it is nonetheless certified and will carry the IGP Seal by its bottler. IGP Balsamic is thinner and has less acidity, lending itself to vinaigrettes and marinades or cooking purposes. In addition to the IGP Seal, the label will denote "Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP."

Everything else called balsamic vinegar without the seal of certification or the denoted label verbiage isn't true balsamic vinegar, but made to taste and look like it, and will likely contain additives like caramel coloring to make it resemble true Balsamic, or pure cane sugar to increase its sweetness and viscosity. There is nothing inherently wrong with them, and in fact, they lend themselves well to infused balsamic vinegars that you see more commercially available at grocery stores and specialty shops and are certainly more economical for everyday use.

Here are the vinegars that are pantry staples for our recipes in Kitchen Tapestry, with a separate section just for our beloved Balsamics.

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Everyday Vinegars

Apple Cider Vinegar

Made from fermented apple juice. In spite of some rather outlandish claims of health benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar, there is no clinical evidence to support it has any medicinal properties beyond any other vinegar. But it is indispensable for salad dressings and braising liquid, especially for pork roasts.
Distilled White Vinegar

Made from distilled grain alcohol. It has no real flavor components on its own, but comes in handy when you only want that unadulterated sour, vinegary tartness. Kitchen Tapestry uses it mostly as a stabilizing ingredient for egg whites in the recipe for Cloud Bread Blinis.
Malt Vinegar

Made from fermented ale and barley. It is one of our favorite non-Balsamic vinegars with a deep, sweet, complex malty taste. There's reason why the British use this exclusively to dress Fish and Chips, and I can't imagine eating Kitchen Tapestry's recipe for Southern Style Collard Greens without having Malt Vinegar. It's also great in many of our relishes and sauces.
Raspberry Vinegar

An infusion where wine vinegar is left in contact with fresh raspberries for a period of time to release its essence into the vinegar. It's an excellent base for a vinaigrette to be used with summer salads that contain fresh fruit, like sliced Mandarin oranges, strawberries and, well, raspberries.
Red Wine Vinegar

The king of vinegars and arguably first choice as the base for many vinaigrettes. Fruity, tart, full of zing and a natural pairing with all leafy greens. Add some fresh snipped chives to a cup of this delicious vinegar, and it becomes a necessary finish to Kitchen Tapestry's Pork & Shiitake Mushroom Lo Mein.
Rice Vinegar

Rice Vinegar - or Rice Wine Vinegar, which is the same thing - is made from fermented rice, essentially Sake. It usually comes in "Genuine" or "Seasoned." The latter has sugar and salt added but both are diluted slightly to less than 5% acetic acid, which makes them mild but flavorful for Asian based dipping sauces and vinaigrettes.
Sherry Vinegar

Made from Sherry wine, this is a subtle, nutty, complex vinegar with a slightly sweet aftertaste. It's outstanding as a base for vinaigrettes with bitter greens like Arugula and Radicchio. It also works very well as an ingredient in glazes for pork and beef roasts.
Tarragon Vinegar

This is an easy infused vinegar to make, and I have on occasion. Just put two cups of white wine vinegar in an air-tight cruet with a cup of fresh tarragon leaves and let it sit for three weeks, then strain. But I'll keep a store-bought one in the pantry and use it almost exclusively to make the Kitchen Tapestry recipe for Béarnaise Sauce
White Wine Vinegar

Like its Red Wine Vinegar brother, White Wine Vinegar brings a special zing to leafy greens in vinaigrettes when you might not want the reddish color. It is indispensable for the Kitchen Tapestry recipe, Picnic Cole Slaw Vinaigrette. Can also be substituted for vinaigrettes that call for Champagne Vinegar.

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Balsamic Vinegars

Balsamic DOP Vinegar

Always sold only in the classic 100 milliliter flask bottle with the distinctive yellow and red DOP Seal (Denominazione Di Origine Protetta). Intense, one of a kind vinegar that requires only a few drops to transform any dish. Meant as a finishing vinegar, it is never to be heated or used in cooking.
Balsamic IGP Vinegar

Sold under a variety of brand names in their own bottling, but still will carry the IGP designation and the distinctive yellow and blue IGP Seal, (Indicazione Geografica Protetta) sometimes on the side of the label. Great for using in vinaigrettes, drizzles and stands up to heat for cooking.
Blood Orange Balsamic Vinegar

Once you infuse other flavors into a Balsamic Vinegar, like this one containing Blood Orange extract, you can no longer use the IGP designation. So, be sure the label tells you the vinegar is barrel aged from Modena and the first item you should see on the ingredient list is "grape must." This is an outstanding vinaigrette for salads with fruit in them. Blood oranges are sweeter than traditional oranges, with a raspberry-like flavor.
Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar

There are many on the market, so again, read the label to be sure the vinegar comes from Modena and has been aged in wooden barrels before being infused or blended with extract. Kitchen Tapestry uses this vinegar exclusively for making Pomegranate Blue Cheese Dressing.
Serrano Honey White Balsamic Vinegar

I can only find this in specialty oil & vinegar shops or online; but you really have to read your label. Serrano Honey is from bee honey produced in the Serrano region between Spain and France; but some blends add or infuse the Serrano Pepper from Mexico into their vinegar, an entirely different flavor profile. Kitchen Tapestry uses this blend almost exclusively for My Number One Fan's Fav Vinaigrette.

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Salts, Oils & Vinegars

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